Texas A&M freshman RB KJ Edwards turns heads at preseason camp

· Yahoo Sports

Texas A&M's 2026 running back room continues to take shape this preseason, as redshirt junior Rueben Owens and rising sophomore Jamarion Morrow will continue to compete for the starting job. While Owens currently holds a slight lead, Morrow, who flipped his commitment from Missouri before the 2025 season, is by far the best one-cut back on the roster.

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In the 2026 signing class, blue-chip running back KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker represent the future backfield, but based on what we saw during Saturday's first open practice to the media, Edwards's elite skill set was fully on display, showing off his second-level burst and quickness.

As I stated in my takeaways, Edwards exploded for a 30-plus-yard run, showing good vision after finding his gap and bursting through, which could force Mike Elko and running backs coach Trooper Taylor to find ways to get him on the field, even though Rueben Owens, Jamarion Morrow and redshirt freshman back Tiger Riden are more familiar with new OC Holmon Wiggins' system.

In my humble opinion, more options to keep defenses guessing and utilizing KJ Edwards' athleticism in the screen game should be the focus with just three weeks remaining before the 2026 season-opener vs. Missouri State. GigEm247 analyst Cade Draughon provided his own perspective on Edwards' chances of seeing the field this fall.

"Rueben Owens, Jamarion Marrow and Tiger Riden all have more experience in the system, which gives them an advantage as the competition for carries continues. But Edwards possesses a different level of explosiveness that is difficult to ignore.

There were multiple plays during practice where Edwards was able to break through the line and get into the secondary. Once he gets more comfortable with the offense and begins receiving more reps out of the backfield, those plays may become more frequent."

Edwards stands 5'10" and 197 pounds, and is by far the most explosive back on the roster, outside of Rueben Owens.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M freshman RB KJ Edwards turns heads at preseason camp

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